Clasp



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

c. LINKENBAOHQ GLASP.

No. 558,822 Patented Apr. 21; 1896.

5 M m v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' C. LINKENBAOH.

CLASP. N0 558,822. Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

um/Wm wwnwaw QflWMJ/ I I awn/M45 terns NITE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,822, dated April 21, 1896.

Application filecl September 25, 1895. Serial No. 563,656. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN LINKEN- EACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in clasps for harness, or straps of rubber or leather of any kind, and the purpose of the said invention is to provide a clasp that will securely hold the end of the strap and will at the same time present a neat appearance and without any outwardly-projecting lugs or tongues, which are unsightly, are likely to catch in other articles, and are likely to come loose.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal section through one form of the clasp, the said section being along the line 1 l of Fig. 4. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the clasp shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged detail View of the snap shown on a maller scale in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents as plan view of the clasp shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 represents a section along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2 and looking to the right. Fig. 6 represents a plan view of the improved clasp, the snap being omitted; and Fig. 7 represents a side elevation of the clasp shown in plan in Fig. 6.

A represents the main body of the clasp, which is provided with a trough-shaped chamber therein closed at one end and open at the other, the sides a of said chamber flaring outward, as shown at a, and the bottom a sloping downward, as shown in Fig. 1.

Projecting into the interior of this chamber from the body of the clasp is a claw or tongue a and also a transverse lug a, while the top part of the body A is cut away, as at (1 to allow the insertion of a knife-blade or the thumbnail for the purpose of lifting up the hinged top F, which closes the top of said chamber and serves to hold the strap II therein. This hinged top is provided with two downwardlyprojecting legs f, hinged at f to the side walls of the chamber and projecting far enough below the bottom of the said cover to leave a rectangular aperture in the end of the clasp, through which the strap H is passed. This cover or hinged cap F is provided with a transverse groove f which registers with the transverse lug a projecting from the bottom of the chamber, while one or more claws f project from the said top, and are preferably made sloping forward like a reversed cats claw to catch in the strap and resist any tendency to drag the same out through the rectangular aperture in the end of the clasp already referred to. There may be a plurality of these lugs o tongues a grooves f and claws f but in practice more than one of each will rarely be necessary.

In the form of clasp shown in Figs. 1, 2, and at the lower portion of the main body of the clasp is provided with alug a while just above this lug, 011 the top when closed, is a similar lug f provided with a central groove A resilient band K is fitted on the main body of the clasp and is slipped out of the way, as shown in Fig. 1, when it is. desired to open or close the clasp. When the strap is in place, the top F is forced down. in position and this band K is slipped along until the reduced portion 7r, thereof is sprung into the groove f, as shown in Fig. 2, thus holding the cover F down against accidental openme.

In the form of clasp shown in Figs. 6 and 7, instead of the resilient band K and the lugs a and f (shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4,) a pair of fiat lugs a are used to hold the cover F against accidental opening. When the top F is forced down on the end of the strap, the lugs or ears a are pressed down on the said top, thus firmlyholding the same in posit-ion. It will be seen that any tendency to drag the strap out of. the clasp would only make the cover F bind harder, and thus it will be impossible to pull the strap out without breaking the clasp, and the clasp should be made so strong that the strap will break before the clasp yields. Hence the devices for holding the cover closed are simply intended to provide against the accidental opening of the cover.

The snap attachment consists of a hook B, opened enough to admit the entrance of a ring or staple E, to which the cord or strap or other device to be attached (not shown) is connected. This hook is attached to the main body of the clasp in any convenient way and is surrounded, where it joins the clasp, with a sleeve A, between which sleeve and the shank of the hook is placed a coiled spring O, which normally bears on the head at of the outer sleeve D and presses the same toward the opening in the hook D, thus preventing the said hook from allowing the ring E to become accidentally disengaged therefrom.

I 5 The head 61 of the outer sleeve D is perforated, as at d to receive the shank d of the snap-hook, and the said sleeve D may be pressed in toward the clasp whenever it is desired to disengage the ring E. By this construction an extremely neat connection between the strap and the clasp and between the latter and the snap-hook is obtained.

The various other advantages of the herein-described construction will readily suggest themselves to any practical mind.

It will be obvious that various modifications of the herein-described clasp and snap might be made which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to procure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a clasp, the combination with the main body A having a trough shaped chamber 3 5 therein with sides and bottom flaring toward the open end of said trough, and having a claw a and a transverse lug a projecting from the said bottom into said chamber; of a cover adapted to fit snugly on said cham- 4 ber, and cut away at one end, provided at said end with downwardly-projecting legs f hinged to the sides of said chamber, and hav ing a claw f 3 projecting from the said cover into the said chamber in rear of said claw a on the bottom; a resilient band encircling the body and cover of said clasp when closed, for holding the cover in the closed position; means for holding said resilient band in position; a shank rigidly fixed to the forward end of said body A, an open eye carried by the forward end of said shank, and a springpressed sleeve on said shank normally closing said eye, substantially as described.

2. In a clasp,the combination with the main body A having a trough-shaped chamber therein with sides and bottom flaring toward the open end of said trough, and having a claw a and a transverse lug a projecting from the bottom into said chamber; of a cover adapted to fit snugly on said chamber, and cut away at one end, provided at said end with downwardly-proj ectin g legs f hinged to the sides of the said chamber, and having a claw f projecting from the said cover into the said chamber in rear of said claw a on the bottom, and said cover having a transverse groove immediately above said transverse lug a on the bottom of the chamber; means for holding said cover in the closed position; a shank rigidly fixed to the front end of said body A; an open eye carried by the forward end of said shank; a coil-spring surrounding said shank; a short sleeve rigidly fixed at its rear end to the said body, and inclosing the rear end of said sleeve and said coil-spring, a larger sleeve inclosing the forward end of said coil-spring and shank and fixed sleeve, and normally pressed forward by said coilspring and closing said open eye, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN LINKENBACII.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES E. ZUNTS, JNo. P. NIELMAER. 

